Asheville, North Carolina based National Hammered Dulcimer Champion Joshua Messick breathes new life into an ancient, enchanting instrument. Creativity flows with dynamic passion as he weaves progressive, cinematic stylings & modern techniques into traditional melodies, original compositions, & powerful improvisations. Adding to the uniqueness of this event will be the presence of flute, digeridoo, hand drums, vibraphone, tabla, bongos, djembe, lap dulcimer and other instruments.

Joshua Messick is one of a handful of new, young virtuoso Hammer Dulcimer players emerging from around the country. He is a National Hammer Dulcimer Champion and continues to grow and mature as an exceptional talent. His skill on the instrument doesn't begin and end with his technical proficiency. He has an amazing sense for composition and has written, and continues to write, beautiful passages that specifically highlight the unique qualities and strengths of the Hammer Dulcimer. Joshua is a player who understands the power of the space between the notes. He has the ability to transform a solo piece into a "symphonic" experience. ~Jerry Ready Smith, Master Luthier

Messick has released 4 recording projects. His newest album “Honest: Songs of Hope” with Erin Rogers was released in 2013 and is focused on hope and healing through music.
(Click HERE to learn more about this powerful recording project)

James Kylen plays vibraphone, tabla, bongos, djembe, drum kit. James is a creative percussionist with a dynamic, intuitive approach. He is also a gifted composer, and has go-written some of the songs with me to be debuted at the "Awake" concert. James plays drums with BJ Leiderman, Jeff Thompson, and recently recorded with David Wilcox.

Peter Alexander Levitov, an experimental multi-instrumentalist and improvisational composer will perform on handpans and didgeridoo. His soundscapes, inspired by Tibetan, Sufi, and Indigenous healing sound traditions, explore a broad range of instrumentation, from ancient to contemporary, creating restorative environments that support personal growth and healing.

MORE ABOUT JOSHUA MESSICK

When his four-year-old ears heard the hammered dulcimer for the first time, Joshua Messick turned to his mom and said, “I promise I will learn to play the hammered dulcimer before I am thirty.”

At nine, when he got ahold of a pair of dulcimer hammers and coaxed sound from the strings for the first time, a music teacher asked how long he had been taking lessons. “I haven’t,” he said, still going at it. It’s as if Joshua came into this world equipped with a pre-existing relationship with the hammered dulcimer.

Joshua began arranging music at ten and composing in high school. By the time he was eighteen, he became the 2003 National Hammered Dulcimer Champion

Joshua is first and foremost a composer, crafting original compositions drawing from Celtic, Indian, Japanese, and New Age styles. For those who love more traditional music, he breathes new life into Appalachian Folk, Hymns, Classical, and traditional favorites.

“I’ve put my entire life into this music,” he tells an interviewer, and it is readily apparent. Few musicians can span the breadth of styles he easily plays. Enjoy his music on iTunes or CDs, or catch him playing live and you will feel the soulful presence that stirs in his music. You will be transported to a peaceful, nourishing place.

Messick further elaborates his soul by stating, “how music relates to people is something that fascinates me. Music is the sound of the human spirit and for me is prayer without words. There has been a process for me to understand the place music has in my life and why I play it. I used to play only for the purpose of becoming good. Now, I play music because I love it with an understanding that music is God’s gift to experience His love and healing. In addition to this, I seek to play honestly from the heart, learn as much as I can, and enjoy music”

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